Monday 10^th February, 2020 1640

Shopping day.

Buoyed by the news that the banks are now open in Shanghai and businesses are reopening, I went to BHG with my list. It was hardly encouraging looking out from the taxi going there to see shop shutters remain down.

Now your temperature gets checked when you enter the little mall and when you go in the supermarket. And to my utter disgust the bakery just inside the entrance was closed. I wanted to buy a French baguette because I have some tuna paté I'd forgotten about and was looking forward to an easy meal tonight. I was also going to buy some sliced bread to have toasted with sardines in a couple of days. Sure, the supermarket sells bread but every time I've bought some it always tastes like cake. I ended up buying two loaves, hoping at least one is edible. Just when I'd discovered bread I can actually use for my lunchbox whenever we start back at work.

I forgot to check and see if the stalls near here had started to open again but the little supermarket and the noodle restaurant are definitely still resolutely closed. I reckon Mr Jing Jo is making a killing, every second day I go in there he seems to have just had a huge delivery of alcohols and soft drinks, so much so that the available floorspace means with two customers the shop's packed!

It doesn't do anything for morale I am guessing when the epidemic has now surpassed both the SARS and the MERS outbreaks. Mind you, neither do the ubiquitous masks nor never knowing if where you want to go will be open or not. Still, it could be worse – I could just be starting a fortnight's quarantine in sunny Milton Keynes!!